With All the Questions and All the Reasons
by cactuslove
Summary: STORY1: With All the Questions And Reasons & STORY2: Love Near Her Battlefield & STORY3&4: Untold Dreams. Collection of IchigoxRyou One shots.
1. Chapter 1

This is how I avoid writing Chapters of my already published writings. I write random one shots filled with fluffy love-sickness. Weirdly enough... I'm making Masaya look like a mean boy right now. I'm absolutely horrible. Seriously now, enjoy this Ichigo x Ryou one shot.

Remember boys and girls, I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew.

I totally dedicate this to my dead cactus and to the one who will talk to me with my interests.

Song - _Rainy Day Man, Sailor Moon_

**With All the Questions and All the Reasons**

_Rainy day man,  
Rainy day man,  
Rainy day man,_

The first part of the song she heard this morning repeats throughout her mind. She never expected this to happen.

He already knew it. She was going to be late. He never expected anything else. He was going to wait at the top of the stairs to proclaim about how late she was when she got in. Why did it feel so different from all the other times? Since he had woken up, he had this uneasy feeling all day. It wouldn't leave his mind. He couldn't just let it go. He felt and knew that something horrible was going to happen this day. He was beginning to worry about Ichigo. It's been an hour and a half since the other girls have gotten here. She should be already been serving the guests. She should have entered those doors long ago. Where was his Strawberry?

Feeling a little tired from standing for so long, he sat down with his legs crossed. He had never gazed at the door for so long his entire life. He really was waiting for the most important person to him to walk inside. He always imagined embracing Ichigo when she was around. He wanted to do so, so badly he couldn't believe himself.

He had to hold back though. It never seemed to be the right time to let her know.

A bright flash of light. Some lightning. She had already entered those doors with tears running down her face and a little soaked from the rain. He couldn't stand seeing her like that. At that exact moment, he wanted to race down the stairs and tell her whatever had happened, it was going to be okay. Ryou wanted to tell her so much that my world had fallen apart just by seeing her cry. Ryou didn't do it. He held back all his emotions and just listened to her.

_When I think about the first time (the first time)  
Thought I found someone who cared for me  
Things were not as they appeared to be_

"He's a real jerk!" She exclaimed with more tears running down her face. She looked in pain, and a little in denial. Whatever had happened had completely torn out her heart. "He just did it so casually; acting like whatever had happened between was meant nothing, that she was better than me!"

He watched as the other girls brought her in the other room. It was somewhere where she could not scare the customers away. She was in a mess. They brought her to the changing room to let Ichigo further explain what had happened.

"I knew we were getting further apart, but to do it like that. That's just too mean. It doesn't seem like him." She explained further about what had happened just before she arrived. She told them about the random blond-hair school girl that Masaya had fallen attached to. He told her that he knew that was coming, and it couldn't be helped. He also said that it was the same way with her, that she really wasn't in love with him anymore. She didn't exactly understand what he meant by that. Either way, he even apologized for everything.

The girls tried to cheer up Ichigo, saying that everything was going to be alright. She could not believe a word that they said though. There was no way that she was going to be alright with it. She had lost the one thing she cared about. She didn't want to feel distant to him, but it couldn't be helped, just like he said. But now that he was gone, it was time to be strong.

After sitting in the same spot wondering what Ichigo could be crying about, he finally got up. It was time to let the other girls go back to work and talk to Ichigo. He silently strolled to the room and leaned against the door frame.

"Girls, it's time to get to work." He took notice that Ichigo wasn't crying anymore. He waited as he watched the girls pass by his eyes. "Ichigo..."

She calmly wiped away the remaining tears from her face. She was putting on a strong act. She couldn't let Ryou see her like this. After all it was probably in her best interest if he didn't see her crying. He had already. She feared that he might say something and make it worse. It was obvious the reason she was crying. Whenever anything happened, it involved Masaya. It was the truth. She kept her face facing the ground.

She had always been the strongest Mew, he knew it. She was the one who had to face the greatest battles. Even if she stood there alone, facing her biggest fears, she would put them to the side and defend the earth. When she was faced with all of that, her eyes sparkled up with determination to save the planet she loved so much. All the creatures, plants and people that she cared for. They would all flash before her eyes as she continued to fight on. She would never let the world fall into the grasp of the enemy. That would break her heart the most. And Ryou understood all that, he felt the same way. It was why he always wanted to be there to protect her. She was the one to truly help them all. It was in her blood.

His eyes wouldn't turn away from Ichigo for a moment. They were quiet enough to hear the fall and crash of breaking plates in the kitchen. When Ichigo was feeling brave enough, when she drew enough courage to really face the day, she lifted her face up.

"I'll get to work too." She got up, looked around for some sign of her uniform. She was ready to work the day away then fall back in bed going over what happened. What might have went wrong. She began to hesitate when she couldn't exactly remember where she put her uniform last time.

_Rainy day man  
On your shoulder I cried  
When my first crush with love  
Left me shaking inside  
Rainy day man  
Rainy day man_

Ryou snickered to himself as he watched his Strawberry from the door way. He grew restless. 'How many times have I've had the opportunity to let her know? How many times did I let it slip away?' His body somehow managed to unconsciously stroll behind her. He had come up from behind her and lightly wrapped his arms around her. He laid his head against hers, closing his eyes.

She turned to face him, buried her head in his chest. She couldn't help but to cry.

She felt warmth she had never felt before. She couldn't believe that it was real. Such warmth coming from her boss' body. Sure, he was always cold to her. However she knew how much that he really did want to protect the Mew Mews. He was always there in time of need. 'He was always there to protect... me.' It had hit her in an instance.

She was feeling something she never felt when Masaya wrapped his arms around her. She was wandering all over her mind. Why was she feeling something she never felt before? Why was she feeling something that she always wanted to feel with Masaya? Why did she feel so safe when Ryou was around? Even more now that she has been embraced in the middle of his arms. Why did she feel the need to forget all about Masaya and move on so suddenly? She couldn't find the answers to her questions.

Tears rushed to her eyes. She was turned around as they fell down onto her cheeks. He mumbled his words, demonstrating that it's all going to be alright, as he whipped away the tears from her face. Instead of believing when her friends told it was going to be alright, she believed him instead. Another reason she couldn't figure out any of the reasons to her questions. He insisted that she didn't have to work today, deciding that it might have been better if she figured everything out before she started to. He was careful not to make anything worse.

It was true that she really wasn't ready to give it her all when it came to work, but she didn't want to go back in a room with little pictures of Masaya and her. She didn't want to see the little gifts he had given to her. She didn't want to be reminded of it all. She wasn't quite ready to go home.

_Every since I can remember (remember)  
Just like a brother you've been strong and true  
Always been the one to see me through_

"Thank you. I think I might just do that." She said, trying to bring her frown to a smile.

Now Ryou wasn't exactly the kind of guy that would let Ichigo just leave like that. He wouldn't see it through. There was something he could do to help her out a little. "Since it's raining... I can drive you home." He didn't understand why but he felt a little more than just uneasy when he told her that.

She had finally brought the smile to her face when she saw another side, a superior caring side, to Ryou Shirogane. She could have accepted the offer, but then she'd be stuck at home with all the reminders. She just had to deny his offer. "It's alright. I'll ... I'll be fine."

"Why... I don't want you to get sick though," Those words had slipped out of his mouth without leaving any signs of regret. He didn't want her to feel any worse than she had already felt. "Just let me drive you, Strawberry."

She didn't respond to that.

"Why won't you let me drive you?"

She could feel his eyes watching her. She had always felt a watching presence like this. Was it really Ryou who watched her over the years? Was he always watching her? The questions grew in her mind as she hesitated to respond to him. "I just don't want to go home right now."

Ryou wasn't going to question that. He just got up. He grabbed her hand and left the room. As they walked down the hallway, Ryou told Ichigo to stay put. He quickly ran up to fetch something in his bedroom. He came back down with a red umbrella.

"We can go for a walk."

He reached to grab her hand once again. They left the cafe, hand in hand. As they were walking down the pathway, Ichigo finally took full notice of what they were doing. Being hand in hand, it wasn't something she would do with her boss. What was Ryou Shirogane to her anyways? He was just another snobby rich kid. She could have admitted that she felt attracted to him, but that was supposed to die long ago. She also admitted that she absolutely adored they way he showed his true sides.

She knew that he was never really harsh for any reason. He took everything that he did seriously. He held such great pride in his work. She could understand that. She couldn't understand why she felt hot as she held his hand, walking in the rain. She could feel the cold breeze against her body's heat, but it was never enough to truly cool her down. She was growing hotter.

She tightened the grip on her hand. She didn't want to let go of his. She continued walking in the rain with him.

Her heart felt a sense of a new kind of peace. She was already on the verge of forgetting all about what had happened earlier with Masaya, even if it's only been seven minutes in the rain. Her mind was already erasing all the memories with him and replacing them with the images of the occurring event. All the memories with Ryou filled her mind. All the happy ones, angry ones and the sad ones. All the times she felt fluttered by the sight of him, she had lost her breath. All the times she had accidentally run in on a shirtless Ryou, how she faces lit up. All the times that she had gotten angry at him and he just blew it by him like it was nothing. These seemed more precious now than ever.

The speed of her beating heart was increasing.

He took noticed as she tightened her grip. He was as silent as the night as they walked through the rain. It was his mind that would keep him quiet the entire time. He had already known why she was upset. He could figure out why she didn't want to go home right away. She had rejected the idea of having any reminders. He wanted to bring her to a little park for when the rain would end. He assumed that it wasn't going to last long.

They arrived a couple minutes away from the park as the hard rain slowly changed into a light drizzle. It did not matter if the swing set seats were wet. They could just sit there with the grey skies thinking. To Ryou, it wasn't often that he got to be alone with Ichigo. He really appreciated this, the time that they were sharing together, even if it may have meant nothing to her.

All Ichigo wanted to do was to sort everything out. She wanted to know what he meant by he's not the one who she's in love with. If it wasn't Masaya, then who else could she be in love with? The answer was in front of her, but she was oblivious to it. What was it she felt when Ryou wrapped his arms around her for the first time? Just another secure feeling from a supposedly-close friend. She wanted to answer a certain question though, why had she forgotten Masaya so quickly. Those were only, maybe, a fifth of her questions.

'I felt more secure than every as Ryou held me close...' Her mind began to ponder all the possibilities of having loved another one, having loved Ryou Shirogane all this time. She never wanted to believe it so. She could remember all the times her body felt hot as she saw him. She could even remember all of the times her heart felt fluttered. It was a decision though. Perhaps she had made the wrong choice.

_Rainy day man  
You're much more than a friend_

She had already slowly fallen in love with Ryou. In the back of her mind were always random images of what could have been if she made that decision. A random image of Ryou embracing her on an anniversary. Another one of them holding hands as they were on their daily date. There were even images of them fighting side by side.

By the time she had already realized that it might be Ryou that Masaya was talking about, she couldn't help but to wonder about the image of them, with their hands tied up with each others, engaging in a kiss. She couldn't help herself this time.

She felt as if she was always wearing her heart on the outside. She knew it was obvious that everyone could see her emotions through her expressions. Even the cat features gave it away most of the time. It was a feature of Ichigo that everyone loved. Though no one loved it more than Ryou. So it really wouldn't be much of a surprise if Ryou were the first to notice her tail.

He smiled to himself. He knew that she must be thinking of something exciting or embarrassing.

He got off the swing, attempting to be as slow as possible, just so he wouldn't disturb Ichigo's simple thoughts. He somehow managed to manoeuvre his way to face behind Ichigo as she kept her head down. Her cat ears were still open to the public. With a swift movement, he started to stroke her cat ears. Ichigo let out a pleasurable purr. Engaged in the stroking, she had completely forgotten all the questions surrounding her thoughts and that she was with Ryou. All she thought of was how good it felt.

"If you keep your ears out like this, someone might see." He said with a smooth smirk on his face.

Ichigo managed to cry out a shriek before she fell over crashing on her side. Another cliché moment for Ichigo. As she regained some awareness of the event, she quickly went to cover her cat features that had already disappeared.

"I wouldn't have this problem if you didn't inject me with wild cat D. N. A., jerk!"

"That's alright." The smirk placed upon his face slowly changed into a serious look. "I did what I had to do, just like you do what you have to do."

Ichigo quite didn't understand what her blond boss was talking about. She ignored that though.

As she was about to say something, she saw him place his hand out towards her. "You'll catch a cold if you sit in the rain." She accepted his hand that helped her up.

As he lifted her up, she felt her heart become more fluttered than ever. It was obvious she really was in love with her blond boss, but how could she admit that to him. To him, she was only the leader of the Mew Mew Project. She was nothing more. She was the annoying red-haired cat girl that requested for a raise over and over. She was the one who accidentally, but more-so enjoyed, walking in on him in strange situations. There was no way that she could mean anything to him.

Somewhere along the line, she had turned into a little rash cry baby. She felt the tears swelling up in her tears and falling down her cheeks. Ryou lifted her head up with two fingers.

"I really hate to see you cry, Baka Strawberry." His voice was soft as he whipped away her tears.

It started to look like Ryou was trying to manage his way into an unexpected kiss again. It was often that Ryou would randomly kiss her. He would do it just because he wanted to see her expressions, her features pop out or just to, well, he really did want to kiss her often. It didn't matter that she was going out with anyone, he'd do it anyways. There were times where he caught Ichigo kissing back.

It wasn't like the other times though. He did not make his way into a kiss, but into another tight embrace. He wanted to hold her in his arms forever, never letting go.

Ichigo began to blush as she also exposed her cat features to him again. He could feel a swift breeze from the wandering tail and the tiny black hairs brushing up against his hands.

"S-sorry..."

Ryou thought that she really didn't have any reason to apologize. "Don't be."

They broke out of their embrace. Ryou grabbed the umbrella left in the grass in front of the swing set. He grabbed Ichigo's hand and directed in a fashion signalling that they will be heading back to the cafe.

Ichigo's hand managed to come back into the grasps of Ryou's hand. There we were, again, walking hand in hand. Ryou, with his cheeks a faint red, couldn't get the fact that she reached out for him out of his mind. It was utter happiness. And Ichigo felt at complete ease.

By the time they arrived at the cafe, the three youngest Mews already went back home. They told Keiichiro to give their regards to Ichigo again if she ever happens to drop by later. Zakura stayed behind to slowly, but surely, clean up the place. Not really like Zakura, but she may have had some other intentions.

"She said something about anothe-"

A cough came from Ryou as he entered the kitchen. He had interrupted Zakura, whom was talking about Ichigo's situation. The eldest were talking about the so-called forbidden love, among other things.

"What were you two doing?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all." She said it with a sly voice, but still indicating that she was lying through her teeth. It wasn't exactly that they were up to something, but they did so some other things. Just another secret relationship.

"Alright then." He wasn't going to bother with the two of them this time. He had more important things to attend to. Someone like Ichigo was the most important to him, especially now than ever. He turned back to face Ichigo. "Just hold on a second."

He walked towards the refrigerator to grab a couple sweets for the walk back. He had a feeling that she was going to feel hungry later on. After all she hadn't had anything since school ended. That was a certainty.

He closed the refrigerator with the back of his food. As he reached the kitchen's doors, his body swung to the left to look at the two.

"Play nice." He smirked and headed out.

When he got into the main dining room, Ichigo was already laying down on the table. 'Of course she'd be tired by now.' He strolled quietly over to her. He nudged her on her shoulder lightly.

"You should eat something before we go."

"Huh?" Her mind was in a sleeping chaos. "Go where."

"Just eat."

She didn't bother to question him again. She accepted the small cucumber sandwiches that he had supplied. She ate them slowly as Ryou sat down to watch her. She started to have that feeling again. She could feel him watching her. New questions had entered her mind.

'Why... Why is he being so nice to me?' She needed to find out. She wanted to.

She finished up with the sandwiches. Ryou grabbed the plate, headed back to the kitchen, and put it in the sink.

"I'll be right back." He told Keiichiro. Keiichiro nodded in acknowledgement.

He left the kitchen to greet Ichigo waiting for him in the dining room. He nodded. They were on their way again. This time wasn't going to be like the other times they walked somewhere today. Those were quiet times filled with subtle happiness as they held hands together. Of course there would be some similarities.

Their hands managed to meet each other somewhere along the pathway. Ichigo grew a faint red, almost feverish.

"Ryou..." The questions about Ryou had already entered her mind as she noted they were holding hands again. They would not stop invading her mind. As she wanted to know, she took the first step. "Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah."

"Why are you doing this?" She knew that must sound wrong. "I mean, you're usually cold towards me."

"Heh." He supposed it was about time that he would just let her know what was going on through his head all this time. It wasn't any wonder, to him at least, why he was a little meaner towards Ichigo than the other girls. He had his reasons. He would let her know. "I guess I'm a little selfish."

Though he had basically told her full frontal why he was harsher towards her, he didn't bother to explain at the moment. He wanted to make her wonder what he was talking about.

They arrived at Ichigo's house. He left her minutes before her father could yell out words.

_I would give anything  
Just to see you again  
Rainy day man  
Rainy day man  
Rainy day man_

More words from the song she had heard earlier repeats throughout her mind. She can't stand this. It wasn't what she wanted. She could admit to herself that she never really wanted to be with Masaya. She just wanted to see Ryou. She just wanted to be close to him, to let him know how she felt. She needed to. She gazed outside. The clouds were still dark. You could hear the hard rain hit the ground as there was thunder in the background.

"I need to see him."

She got on a pair of loose clothing. She pulled her sweater over the top of her head. It did not matter how late it was. All she knew that she couldn't stand that she was not able to see him right now. Her heart could not bear the pain any longer.

She raced against the wind. It felt like a race against time. She would not wait any longer to see the one she was in love with. She had figured out that she must mean something to Ryou. He was beyond just sweet to her today. He cared so much for her, she was sure of it. There was no other real possibility. Sure, there was one where he could actually dislike her to extreme amounts, but she wouldn't accept that for an answer.

The rain drops fell against her clothing. As they were wet, they stuck to her body. She was increasing the heat. She continued to run in the same direction never turning around to look back. It was not the time for any last regrets. She wouldn't have any anyways.

As she looked up ahead to where she was racing, a dark figure stood between her and the destination. She continued to race without a doubt. Nothing could get in her way.

_Always been the one see me through_

He stood there, front and center. He would not move. He knew exactly who it was racing towards him. He could feel it inside of his heart.

"Ichigo..."

He stood there waiting for her.

As she came closer, she became aware of who she was in front of. For some reason, she knew that he would be standing there waiting for her. She didn't know why but the answers came instantly. He was always this way for a reason. She still wanted to know more though. Her curiosity couldn't bear but to ask questions once she arrived.

She continued racing towards the one she loved. She jumped into his arms as she arrived closer to him. She still could feel his warmth through the wet clothing. She held so tight, it didn't matter anymore that her expression could be shown by her visible cat features.

She glanced up to stare into his eyes.

"What did you mean?" She was hesitating about something Ryou was fully aware of. "Being-"

"Selfish?"

He stood still in his tracks. His body was still embraced by Ichigo's arms, with a single motion; he managed to hold Ichigo with a firm grasp around her waist. "Ichigo. I'm only selfish when it comes to you." His sudden movements managed to sneak a passionate kiss from Ichigo. A big pink puff of smoke appeared as she transformed into a little black kitten with a huge pink bow on her tail. He picked her up. "I'm not sorry but I won't turn you back. Just bear with it." He began to explain furthermore as he stroked her ears.

_Rainy day man  
On your shoulder I cried  
When my first crush with love  
Left me shaking inside_

"It's always that way when it comes to you. I don't want to give you up to anyone else. I can't stand when I see you with him... I was, um, sort of happy when I found out. I mean, I was glad you were available again, but still upset since you were hurt. I didn't want to see you like that so I wanted to take your mind off of it."

He began to play around with the kitten's tail, eventually making his way up to the bow near the end of her tail. He seemed to be enjoying himself more than usual. His casual face lit up as he went back to stroke Ichigo's ears. He had always wanted to do this, a little more for when she had her cat features exposed as a human, but now as a small innocent kitten, there was nothing she could do to stop him. He wasn't going to let this chance pass by.

He listened to her purr as the cat. He wanted to hear his normal cat girl purr.

"I suppose it's time." He said as a scuff of air was released from his mouth. He sighed, quickly hiding his long face. They've been in the same position for a while now, and he knows for sure that Ichigo would very much appreciate it if she could be a human again.

He lifted the kitten eye to eye. He did not wait to move in to place a peck on the kitten's face. As she was transforming back to a human, he was engaged with a real kiss with his normal cat girl, Strawberry. They were tangled in the heat of the moment. They broke out, gasping for some air.

_Rainy day man  
You're much more than a friend  
I would give anything  
Just to see you again_

Ryou seemed to be surprised that Ichigo would kiss back. He remembered the other times where she managed to push him away, where she managed to escape his grasp and manage her way back to Masaya. That wasn't happening now.

She had already admitted her feelings to herself. He had already told her that he did not want her to be with any regular guy, perhaps he was hinting at himself. Either way, it was time that she should admit her feelings to Ryou. It did not matter to her if he did not feel the same way, she would do everything in her power to make sure that one day, just one day, and they would end up together. She would not give up on Ryou just like that.

Neither would he let her give up on him. He had already admitted that he hated to see her with another one. But he didn't say the words he thought she needed to hear. A simple 'I like you, Ichigo' would be those words.

"Strawberry…"

She glanced up at the entranced blond boy. He was enjoying this moment the most. Being embraced in her arms, and knowing that she just might feel the same way.

"Ryou, I really… I really like you."

He smiled at her. His dream had finally come true. He could feel a faint blush in his cheeks. Avoiding showing Ichigo his weak side, always wanting her to know that he'll be there for her, he began to say the words. "I love you, Strawberry."

The night sky was still dark. You could not see the stars in the middle of the sky. You could not see the moon either. It wasn't raining hard anymore; the rain had begun to just drizzle on the ground. Enough to soak the grass. You could see lightning from far away. You could hear random thundering from far away. You could even hear the confession of young love in the night.

He let out a small sigh as he looked at his Strawberry.

"You know… If you keep doing this, you're going to end up sick."

_Rainy day man  
Rainy day man  
Rainy day man  
Rainy day man_

**End | With All the Questions and All the Reasons  
**(Written on October 12, 2006)


	2. Chapter 2

Enter in the second fiction, one shot of the love between Ichigo and Ryou.

I'm starting off with the end of the anime series, not the manga... If we can recall, at the end of the animated series, they said that they were still some issues. Aright, now enjoy. I swear the next thing I'll be putting up is Chapter 12 from Where Love Meets. (Look! Advertising!) Remember boys and girls, I still don't own Tokyo Mew Mew.

And I love to drag things out, so it's really long.

_Italics__are past events, flashbacks._

**Love near her Battlefield**

It had been a year since the defeat of Deep Blue, and although the battle had ended, obvious signs shown that it wasn't exactly over yet. After all of their fighting, they still discovered some problematic situations in the area. Tokyo was still depending on the Mew Mews to defend them, to protect them forever. They did accept their duties as they were a part of the Mew Mew Project. The only difference with the present and their past was Ichigo was no longer with Masaya. It was only a couple weeks after they defeated Deep Blue that they actually broke up. It seemed they lost interest in one another faster than they assumed.

Most of the Mews thought they would be together forever, but Ichigo wasn't feeling those emotions for him anymore. She slowly started to dislike spending time with Masaya. It seemed to be more than a pain to her, than something she could enjoy. As they slowly drifted apart, they decided it would be best to see other people.

It was like any other situation. One of the Mews would eventually run into a chimera and call out for help. They would transform with the pendant given to them from their high standards boss. In all reality, it was a typical cliché moment for Ichigo. She stood as Mew Strawberry in front of the newly created chimera; she was ready to battle it out.

She wasn't going to wait for the other Mews to join her. If she did begin to battle they would be coming along shortly afterwards. She motioned her hands in the right signal revealing her Strawberry Bell to the chimera. She could hear Masha repeating alien in the background, still flying around in circles.

She took a long look at the chimera. She stared into its dark green eyes, glancing back down to see their long snake body with a purple body and random orange spots here and there.

She was certain she would never let a chimera harm any single person on their planet that she loved so much. She tightened her grip around her Strawberry Bell. She had come across this chimera on a slight coincidence. She was just walking home from her regular part-time job at Cafe Mew Mew. It really wasn't much of a shock to see it, considering that she heard the rumours of an alien monster terrorizing the city streets at night.

She stayed late at the cafe as she did the usual nights. She knew it was different from the others. As she would be sleeping, Ryou would eventually come around to nag her about her work. There were times where she could feel the caring side to him. It wasn't like that now. She was beginning to miss the nagging side of Ryou. She couldn't bear that.

Her cat ears twitched as she heard the familiar running footsteps from a far. She needed to quickly end this battle before anyone got hurt. 'Not another one, not another one.' She repeated to herself. It had already happened before. As the memories of that past battle entered her mind in a flash, a single tear fell down her cheeks.

_The girls gathered in a group getting ready to battle the chimera. The peppy pink fluff ball was waving itself around in the air repeating the warning words. Keiichiro standing in the back, watching the girls, making sure that they were doing fine. He was fully aware that the new brand of chimeras was much stronger than the others._

_Mew Minto came into the picture doing her regular ballet routine, getting her Mintone Arrow ready, and then rushing her Ribbon Mint Echo. As Minto fell down to the side, Mew Purin rushed in ahead of the other girls, revealing her tambourine. She shook it against her hips calling out Pudding Ring Inferno._

_Mew Ichigo's cat ears twitched as she watched the other girls battle it off. She could hear something in the distance. It was the sound of footsteps gaining speed, trying it's hardest to get to its destination as fast as it could; there wasn't any time to wait around. If this stranger ever came in the path of a chimera, they would be injured. She knew that much._

_The chimeras were more destructive than ever. They would stop at nothing to destroy the city of Tokyo, gaining more power with every accomplishment._

_The sound of footsteps was ringing in her ears. It was now or never. She stood her guard with both legs planted securely on the ground…_

She did not want to believe she could actually let it happen to someone she cared for. It wasn't that he's just a part of a team, but she was already beginning to feel more for him. He was not someone she couldn't replace, nor would she'd want to replace him.

She enjoyed every moment that she spent with him. She was even beginning to cherish the childish manner that he held close to his personality. She was even beginning to love every aspect of his. It did not matter whether he was a little harsh towards her. She was already understanding towards his reasoning. She had come to some conclusion on his feelings towards her.

Maybe it wasn't just for security. He never did act that way towards the other Mew Mews. He was more or else always acting like the leader, none of the less Ichigo was the real leader, but always there to help out the girls. It was something he wanted to do. It was something he needed to do. To stand beside the girls as they battled. Why wasn't it like that now? How could she let something like that happen?

_Revealing her Strawberry Bell to the chimera, she jumped high up in the air. She tightened her grip as she shouted out Ribbon Strawberry Check, releasing a wave of blue and pink sparkles, of course followed by the regular waves of the pink hearts, in the air. Her cat ears twitched again as the sound of footsteps were growing louder. Words of confidence ran through her mind, reminding her that she'll have to end it soon. "So that no one gets hurt… No one."_

_Closing her eyes for a moment, she fell down to the ground. She quickly opened her eyes, the chimera still up and ready for the battle. Her attack had done nothing. The footsteps were growing louder. Whoever it was, they were here._

_She glanced behind her to see who it was. It was only suppose to be another innocent citizen. Although he always was supposed to be there with the girls, he shouldn't have come at that time. The chimera was the first to notice that someone else entered the picture. Ichigo could see the look of enjoyment in its eyes as it thought of injuring him._

_Showing off its long tail, it quickly raced to meet with their blond boss. He was standing there, almost out of breath as he ran all the way over there. His hands with on his hips, gasping for air, with his head towards the bottom. As the chimera came closer to, he quickly raised his head in time. He also saw the look in its eyes._

_Without any hesitation he raced away from the chimera. Ichigo wasn't ready to stand still to watch something happen. Regular humans were never a match for any of the chimeras. Even the fact that he could transform into a regular white kitten wouldn't help. Sure, he could have raced away from it a lot faster but that wouldn't have done much._

_Mew Lettuce rushed in the scene to help him. Taking out her Lettuce Castanets, she quickly aimed for a Ribbon Lettuce Rush against the chimera in order to at least distract it for a minute. As long as Ryou managed to remove himself from the picture as quickly as he could, it would have been alright._

_But things didn't work out the way she planned. Ichigo watched as it happened before her eyes. Unable to do anything she fell to the ground._

_Although Lettuce's attack did manage to distract and hit the snake-like chimera, it wasn't enough to help Ryou. As the chimera moved towards Lettuce, her long snake body showed off her tail once again. They watched as its tail swung over the side, hitting Ryou and throwing him across the parking lot._

She was not going to let it happen now. She was faced one – to – one against the same chimera that had injured the one she cared most for. It was not a possibility for it to escape this time. Not another tunnel, not another victim, just a finished battle to the end. She would sacrifice anything for Ryou.

It wasn't that long ago she realized her feelings towards him. At first she was in denial. She couldn't imagine that she was feeling something towards her would-be cold boss. She always imagined him with another supplemental blond rich girl who enjoyed playing golf and drinking tea. She could see them dancing in the bright white ballroom, as the others watched them in amazement. And then there was her. Even with the help of Ryou, she wasn't much of a dance the last time.

But her thoughts began to change as she saw another side towards Ryou Shirogane. She began to understand that he could be harsh towards the girls for a reason. He needed to be strict with them so they would take everything seriously. It wasn't that they didn't. They knew it was a part of their destiny, something that they had to do. With the proof, the distinctive marks on their body, they were the ones who would fulfill that destiny.

Clearing her mind from all that, she leaped up already ready to battle. Her grip on her Strawberry tightened as her mind wandered into the idea of Ryou getting injured the last time. She felt more passionate than ever and the footsteps were closer.

She placed her Strawberry Bell above her head and shouted. "Ribbon… Strawberry Check!"

The wave of pink and purple sprinkles, followed by wave of pink hearts, came out of the bell. This time, she did hit the chimera. Somehow her attack managed to grow more powerful, probably from all the passion planted inside her heart, and was able to defeat the chimera. She watched Masha as it flew in the air racing towards the insector to eat it.

Her eyes were heavy. She was suffering from a lack of sleep since that night. And it didn't really help much that she couldn't stop herself from worrying all the time. 'How is he' was the only thing that went through her mind. She eventually found herself sleeping as the early morning came around. The sound of the footsteps was the last thing she heard as she collapsed to the ground, transforming back to the regular Ichigo. Masha waved itself in the air once again, indicating that Ichigo should get up; that she shouldn't lay in the middle of the streets.

She slightly opened her eyes as she felt the presence of another body. Whoever they were, they were picking her up from the streets. She couldn't keep her eyes open any longer. Once again she fell back into the deep sleep.

"Should you really be here?" He asked with concern.

"It's not like I was doing anything special there. Just lying in bed every day… Besides I told you, I'm feeling a lot better." He said with no regards. "I'm supposed to be here... With you and the girls."

The other man nodded his head. It was no use to argue about the situation. If he said that he was feeling fine, he'll do whatever he wishes. Just another part of his nature. In all reality, it wasn't any wonder why he felt the need to stay where he was.

He was just in time to pick her up as she grew unconscious after the battle. How he knew there was something happening was a mystery to his best friend.

The other silently left his side as he closed the door behind him.

As hours passed, he began to wonder how long he had been there, just staring at the little marks placed upon her body. He felt sudden urges to play with her bright red hair. He thought, since there was no way she could object to such a thing, he could take the time to do some of the things he always wanted to- but he just couldn't do it.

However he did manage to gain some courage to play with her hair for a bit. It was the feeling of her red hair between each of his fingers that sent a bit of a shiver down his spine. He felt some enjoyment for the first time in months. He had always imagined playing with her hair when she was standing straight in front of him. Their eyes met each other as a bit of a coincidence when their other hand met each other down below.

He had always imagined wrapped his arms securely around her waist, followed by some securing words about his feelings towards her. "I love you." He whispered as he untangled his hand from her hair. "What did you do?"

He let out a sigh. He began to wonder how she could let herself to out of shape so much. As he stayed in bed at the hospital, only staring at the dull white bed sheets, he couldn't shake off a bad feeling. He would continuously tap his fingers on the mattress as he stared blankly into space. As he slept, images of the one he cared for passed through his mind. Usually when this happened, they were just regular memories of when Ichigo was smiling, when she was acting like her regular klutzy self. Not this time.

She was alone in the dark. He could feel how cold it really was as the wind pressed up against her body. He could see how strong the wind was as he watched her bright pink hair move with the wind. Still she looked so strong. Never once revealing any shreds of fear to her opponent. As the area slowly turned dark, her expression changed from confidence to a bit of fear in her eyes. She looked as if she was almost breaking on the inside.

Shaking his head he attempted to escape the restless memory.

He had promised himself he wouldn't let that happen. He began to wonder what she was dreaming of. She appeared to be lifeless, trapped inside a peaceful dream, as her legs huddled together and her fingers lay nimble against the pillows. It was only once in a while a sound would come from her mouth, or that her fingers would twitch to the side. It was only once where she turned around to face him. She kept that way.

All night he sat beside her side hoping that she'll wake up somewhere in between, without remembering the other battle, she'll jump in anticipating and welcome him back. It had been only two weeks since he last saw her smile.

His eyes were growing weary as he continued watching her sleep. He could feel the bright sun against the window, attempting to sneak in through the cracks between the curtains. He rose from his chair, heading to the window. His arms quickly put each curtain panel to the side. The sun was shining on her face now.

He rubbed his eyes, attempting to wake himself up. He scratched his head as he strolled back over to Ichigo. He leaned in to kiss her forehead as she stayed still. He figured the best thing that could keep him awake right now was a hot shower. His fingers lingered over her lips as he turned around to leave his bedroom.

He quietly closed his bedroom door just to make sure he did not wake her up. He headed towards the bathroom and straight into the shower he went. The hot water came as a slight surprised at first, eventually getting used to the water. He placed his hands securely against the wall, moving in head directly under the water. He rubbed his side gently, tending to the previous injury. He ran his hands through his blond hair returning to bite his fingernails. He quickly washed his hair. He was already starting to miss her.

He was still a little soaked when he got out of the shower. He shook off most of the water in an instance. He grabbed a towel, quickly tying it around his waist, and headed out the door. He hesitated before he entered his own bedroom. The memories of situations like this had passed before his eyes once again. Walking in with only a towel never really did suit the two. Either way, he would have to enter his bedroom.

He completely forgot to grab some more clothing on the way out. His mind was still in a trance. He slowly opened the door, peeking through the cracks to see if she was awake.

She wasn't.

He opened the door more. Trying his best not to make such a mess, he grabbed a pair of red boxers and some black pants. Being shirtless wasn't much of an issue right now. He headed back to the bathroom to pull on the two clothing items. Without even doing up his pants, he just headed back to his bedroom. Once again, he completely forgot to do it up as he just sat down on the chair.

He moved in closer to Ichigo to kiss her on the forehead again. A single drop of water from his hair fell onto Ichigo's cheek. She shuddered for a second then slightly opened her eyes to reveal a blurred image.

It was the same image from before. There was a blurred image of his blue eyes staring back into her brown eyes. Without knowing, her hand had already reached out to touch his arm. The soft touch she could remember from another night. Her vision was still blurred, and even though she did not see who it was that night, she knew it was the stranger who picked her up. Who was he? Perhaps a stranger who cared for her the entire night; A stranger who stayed by her side. He wasn't much of a stranger. He wasn't much of anything insignificant to her.

The image became to resemble someone more clearly. She took notice to the blond damp hair which had awakened her at such a time in the morning. She took notice to their skin and the way their body was formed. He quickly rose, backing up, still not making a sound.

She figured if she could just hear him once, she would know where she was. The figure resembled someone she cared for, but in her thoughts, she knew it could never be.

Though in her heart, there were suggestions that it really was him.

"Shi—Shirogane?"

She could see him clearly standing there. She couldn't believe that he was standing in front of her. It was as if she was still dreaming. There he stood, still confident as ever. Shirtless like always, with his pants undone. She didn't bother to say anything about it.

"How…" Her mind could accept the fact that he was there, though he was meant to be somewhere else.

Injured or not, Ryou did not intend on leaving Ichigo's side.

"The hospital… You're supposed to be in the hospital." She could feel water rushing to her eyes, holding back her tears, though eventually letting a single tear run down the right side of her face. "You shouldn't be here. You're hurt, you're hurt, and you're hurt." She attempted to make sense of what was going on.

Advancing a bit, as he kept his eyes on the stumbling Ichigo, he slowly moved his hand towards. A sign of silence was made as he pressed his index finger against her cold lips.

"It's not that bad." He suggested in a reassuring manner. "I'm alright. Are _you_ okay?"

She stared blamefully at the scratches on his upper torso, at the bruises on his sides, at the scars across his body. The nightmare had shamefully re-entered her mind, having another attempt at destroying her spirit. She shook her head making way to break the nightmare and wake up in bed small cozy bed realizing that all this had just been a dream, and that she would go to work as if it was just an ordinary day. Nothing was real anymore.

Ryou kept a firm grasp of Ichigo's arms as he tried to bring her back to reality. It was not a dream. He was standing in front of her as he would in many other occasions. He didn't quite understand why she could not admit to the truth. He didn't understand why she couldn't grasp a sense of reality. Why she couldn't believe anything anymore.

He was beginning to feel useless. He quickly changed from a tight grasp on her arms to a tight embrace.

She stood still.

The thought that what was happening was real entered her mind.

Her eyes were opened wide, trying to captivate everything before her eyes. They were as if they were restraining what was before her with all her mind, restraining Ryou for the first time. She could feel the slight touch as her hand held Ryou close for the first time. Her fingers lingered along the scarring, forcing her to accept it.

Somehow their faces manage to grow closer together as she could feel her nose hitting directly above his. Her face was moving back and forth, making way to sweep in. She was holding back.

Though Ryou was the kind to take advantage of these situations. He did not wait. As soon as he could, he managed to lock Ichigo in a regular vivacious kiss.

Breaking out for a breath of air, she managed to push him aside.

"What are you doing here?" She shouted in anger. She knew he was in need for medical help, even despite the idea that he wanted to be close to the girls. "You're supposed to be at the hospital. What if you got injured again? What if it got worse?"

She continued shouting at him, showing a concern side to her.

"Baka." A single word had interrupted her concerned rage. "I'm alright. I don't feel it anymore." He was lying through his teeth to her. He did not want her to worry about him anymore than he was worried about her. He realized that he might have put her under some stress since it was obvious she felt she was the cause to his injury. She wasn't. Nor would she ever be.

She was the cause of interest. As much as he had other reasons to continue with the Mew Project, she was also a reason. He had transformed her into what we know now as Mew Ichigo, the leader of the Mew Mews. She was the leader of a team of high school girls willing to do whatever they can to save their world. With all the sacrifices they've each made, it really shows that they care.

"Why?" She paused for a moment. "Why were you there?"

He was not going to lie to her and say that it might have been a pure coincidence that he appeared just as she fainted. Although he wasn't exactly ready to completely confess about the nightmares he was having about Ichigo. He always woke up in the middle of the dream, never able to finish it. He wanted to before he said anything.

He stayed silent.

They sat in an embrace as he slowly dozed off. Exhausted from the night's stay, he couldn't help but to do so. Either way, Ichigo couldn't stay there long. She felt the need to stop at home, and let her parents, especially her father, know that she was alright so they wouldn't worry about her. After all she wasn't aware Keiichiro had already made the arrangement. She also decided that she wanted to make him some kind of a lunch. He had spent the last few nights in the hospital, we all know the food there isn't that great.

She gently lifted up his head attempting to move him a little over to the right. She knew how exhausted he was, so she tried her best not to wake him. She brushed his hair to the side as it covered part of his face. She smiled gently and got up. She whispered to herself something about she'll be back soon, just after an errand is finished. And she was off. Out the door and down the stairs, all the way outside, with a plan in the back of her mind.

The nightmare was back. A dark background. He could see her standing braver than ever. It was a regular sign of who she stood to be as Mew Ichigo. She was not only the leader of Tokyo Mew Mew, but she was also a true friend. She was someone who would always be there to defend her city until the end. Just like a regular childhood heroine you would see in the movies. As high as her barriers were, he could see them slowly breaking down into nothing, as the fear was shining in her eyes.

By the look in her eyes, he understood that she was feeling unstable, unprotected, harmed, and perhaps even unwanted. Never once was Ichigo any of that. Never once did anyone ever show her that. Just by the look, you could tell that she wasn't feeling secure about being Mew Ichigo anymore. That she wasn't secure about being able to win against the chimeras.

He tried his best to finish the dream.

"Alright Mom!" Ichigo yelled from the door. "I'll be back later."

She jumped off the steps as she closed the door behind her. In a sort of a rush, she hurried along the streets to get to the supermarket. It was a known-fact to her that he wouldn't have much in his fridge. Sure they would always be a few left over cakes from the ones that Keiichiro made, but either way, she wanted to make him something healthy, something that would really help him recover.

As she arrived she went through the entire store, picking up ingredients for a stir fry, which she was planning on making. Ichigo did not race through the store, but went through the rows carefully picking up different items that she could also use for later. Either way she knew Ryou's cupboards were bare.

Ryou wanted to reach out his hand. He couldn't. He wasn't exactly there. Somehow he was able to understand that whatever Ichigo was hopelessly looking at was slowly starting to fade away before her eyes. He could see the water steaming and swelling up in the bottom of her eyes. He could see how red her cheeks were turning as she grew more disappointed.

He figured if he could just get to her, then everything would be alright. He could do something about it. Being the man in this subtle relationship with Ichigo, it was his duty; He was meant to protect her. He wanted to be there always, in fear if anything ever happened, he would be there. He could pick her up, gently play with her hair, and let her know that everything will be alright… Because he's with her.

This concept of love was powerful to him.

The nightmare continued to struggle with him. His body was saying that he has to wake up from this, and the nightmare was crying out to him to finish it. He figured his body could just hold on to time and let him finish. His body cried out in agony more.

He attempted to move. His feet were unable to move, almost glued to the ground, for a reason. For a slight moment, he could see what a glimpse of Ichigo's view point.

He could see the bright blue skies slowly started to darken as a storm kicked into play. He could see the trees burning as the flames engulfed their leaves. There was no sign of life anywhere but the slight shadow of a known figure in front of her. He searched his mind for a resemblance in the figure, unable to find anyone. The figure started to slowly fade away before his eyes…

He was right.

Tears fell down Ichigo's cheeks just as he finally managed to wake up from the nightmare, crying out her name.

Ichigo, happy as ever, was prancing her way back to Café Mew Mew, where she could finally make Ryou something healthy. He was in dire need. She made her way into the park where she could take a short break and see whether Purin was making any displays. She entered, looked around. There was no sign. She shrugged and figured that she would just wait a little longer before she gets to it.

She jumped as she heard a muffled scream from afar. Was someone was in danger? She dropped the bag of groceries on the bench. She held out her pendant and cried out. In a flash, Ichigo had turned into Mew Ichigo.

She ran in the direction of the scream.

A familiar chimera stood before her with a crowd of people running in different directions, attempting to escape the grasps of the chimera. She knew it. She could tell where she saw this one from. The glare in its eye told her what she needed to know. There was no way she would let this one escape.

She got to it as quickly as she could. There was no way that she would wait around for the chimera to get around. Absolutely no possible way. She jumped up in the air, attempting to perform Strawberry Ribbon Check, but was unable to as the chimera quickly moved with its centipede-like body. It gained more speed and drove towards her.

Ichigo was suddenly pushed out of the way as the other figure was pushed all the way to the other side of the park. She opened her eyes, looking around to see who it could be. She figured it must have been one of the Mews, probably Purin who often came to the park. Though to her expectations, she was wrong.

Ryou was lying in the grass unconsciously. His arms raised above his head, attempting to protect himself. His legs lay nimble as they were spread across the area. She tried her hardest to see if he was moving. "He's… He's not moving."

Tears fell down her eyes as they did the first time something like this happened. He was injured at her expense. She couldn't believe it. It had happened again.

Growing furious, she would not stand for this. Standing her ground, she glared at the chimera. She would not give up. It wouldn't be what Ryou would want. It wouldn't be what the Mew Mews would want. It wouldn't be what anyone wanted— it wasn't what she wanted.

She cried out. "Strawberry Ribbon Check." With a blast of the pink hearts coming from her Strawberry Bell had directly hit the chimera in the middle. She saw Masha fly towards the insector, engulfing it in a single bite.

Ichigo ran towards her foolish companion. She dropped to her knees as she arrived. She quickly searched for his hand, holding it with a tight grip, saying that he'll wake up any time soon. Tears rushed to her eyes.

His eyes began to twitch as Ryou came to. He looked at his cat girl with the tears in her eyes. He rose, still sore from the fall, and wrapped his arms around her.

"I wanted to be there… So I can always protect you." He said softly. "I love you, Mew Ichigo."

She couldn't help but to smile now.

**End | Love near her Battlefield  
**(Written on December 1, 2006)


	3. Chapter 3

I've been more productive than you lately. I swear to almighty Jesus Christ, I really have been more productive than you. I swear to god I haven't been putting off my other writing projects! Really, I promise you. I've created another Ichigo x Ryou one shot full of bliss and lovey-dovey perverted events. Now adjust your screen and pay full attention. Please read and review! I'll appreciate it a whole lot. Thank you

**Be Aware: Chapter 3 & Chapter 4 are the same chapter.**

I have added them that way so you can re-read the full chapter (and have it listed as *NEW*) and be like "Oh, right that's what happened..." since it has been four years and I doubt anyone still comes around to read these stories. I will eventually delete Chapter 4 and keep Chapter 3 so that it doesn't clutter up space and I can continue writing one shots in order _and not keep first or second parters separately. _

I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew.

(Written on March 24, 2008 and January 3, 2012)  
**Untold Dreams | Part One**

It was early morning and her house was empty. Her father was already at his workplace, sitting back on his mobile chair, and her mother had left a note saying she's going grocery shopping and she'll be back soon. The sleepy red head yawned as she dropped the note on the kitchen counter. Yawning again, she turned around and headed up the stairs. She turned around to the right and headed in that direction. Paused for a moment and opened up the first door on the left. She glanced around her white bathroom.

She sat on the ground pulling off her turquoise socks. Standing up, she felt the cold touch of the bathroom tiles. She dropped down her pajamas pants, along with her strawberry patterned underwear. She slowly unbuttoned her pajamas blouse, tossing it to the side, moving her body towards the bath tub. She began to run the water, hands submerged underneath the tap, checking for the right temperature. She didn't want it steamy hot, just hot enough to wake her up. She pulled up the lever and began the shower.

The redhead closed the shower doors and began whipping her body with the water. "I feel so gross," she mumbled to herself. "This feels really nice." Her hand moved towards the wall, grabbing the soap. Starting from the bottom of her body, she washed every inch of her toes, escalating to her knees. She giggled to herself as she tickled her knee caps.

Off in the distance she could hear the door close. 'Must be mom,' she told herself in reassurance. After all, who else would be in their house? Once again moving up, she continued washing around her more private parts. Now there was soap on her waist, just below her knees and all around her feet. She closed her eyes and faced the facet. Water ran down her entire body.

The shower door slowly slide opened from the right and he managed to get inside without her noticing. He moved his body closer to hers, pressing his own body against hers. As she was about to shriek, he quickly muffled her mouth with his hand.

"Shhh," He told her quietly. "Ichigo, it's only me."

She couldn't recognize the voice. She was more afraid than before, telling herself that some crazy stalker is in her house. She attempted to fight back, to separate from his grasp of her. He, on the other hand, let go of her easily without any struggle. She turned around, face to face with the man who appeared to attack her.

The first thing her eyes saw was a familiar tanned chest. 'Well every guy has a chest, it's nothing new. He's still a creepy stalker.' She glanced over at the door handle, wishing she was closer. She finally glanced up and all she could see was the water drops falling down from his shaggy blond hair.

As she glanced up higher, she notices the smile in the corner of her eye. Next followed were the aqua blue eyes she had seen every single day.

"Ryou?" She exclaimed in surprised. She went on to inquire, completely ignoring the fact that she was in front of her boss, completely naked. "What are you doing here?"

"What are you talking about, Strawberry?" He leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. "We do this almost every morning. It's been at least... a month since we started. Scoot over a little; I need to grab the shampoo."

Ichigo stood there in awe, completely blank than ever. She started to trace her steps in her mind.

'Yesterday I went to work... And the day before I went to work too. I mean I haven't even seen Shirogane besides at work. I don't know what's going on.' She felt like dropping to the ground and drawing out the things that just happened. "Alright, let me get this straight. We shower together? Are we dating?"

"What kind of a stupid question is that?" Ryou was himself as always. "Do you usually shower with people you don't date?"

She shook her head as a response. 'Alright, so I'm dating Shirogane... When did this happen? But if we're already showering together, does that mean-" She shrieked out loud, letting out a large cry in Ryou's ear.

Ryou looked at her closely. He understood exactly where she was going with this, or at least he thought he did. His grab flew around her back, pulling her closer to his own body. They stood there, as the water continued running down their bodies, locked in a passionate kiss. His hand moved forward lightly touching her stomach.

"RRRR-R-RR-ping ping." She opened her eyes, hearing the phone. She moved her body forward, falling off her bed, tangled up in her bed sheets. "Ahh!"

She glanced around her bedroom, once again with a blank expression. "A dream? It was only a dream?" She sighed with relief. She got up, throwing her white sheets on her bed, falling over face first into her pillow. The startled redhead turned over to stare at her ceiling. "I can't believe I had a dream like that."

She sat up looking at her alarm clock. "Nine fifteen, huh. I guess that leaves me about forty five minutes."

Her eyes widened as she finally took real notice of the time. She started to scream of how she was late for work- again. She quickly threw on her pink maid outfit and ran out the door, without bothering to take her regular clothes. She rushed down the street; she even took a short cut through the small park, running ahead, never to look back. 'Ryou is going to kill me.'

The dream had popped up back in her thoughts and she began to blush.

She screamed out loud, still on the run. She ignored the strange looks from the parents and the giggles from the children. Only fifteen minutes later, she appeared in front of the cafe, completely out of breath. She walked towards the door, opened it and peeked inside. Mint was in her usual place drinking her tea. Lettuce was walking back and forth between customers, picking up their orders. Pudin was doing the same old tricks she did just the other week, giggling like a crazy monkey.

Zakura was nowhere to be in sight so Ichigo just assumed she must have been in the back talking with Keiichiro or maybe at another one of her photo shoots. She looked back and forth in the main door. She glanced over at the stairs wondering if he'd be there waiting to storm off at her. The last thing she needed was to see Ryou, especially after a dream like that.

'Maybe he's in the kitchen and Zakura really is at a photo shoot...' She felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Just hold on." She whispered to them, assuming it's simply a customer.

"Are you just going to stand there all day or are you going to go to work. I mean after all, you are already thirty minutes late..."

She turned around to face her nightmare. Before her appeared the usually snobby rich boss of hers. As strange as it sounds, her eyes were completely drawn to his lips. She felt a blush appear on her face. She couldn't risk remembering the dream from earlier. "Hai!" She quickly said, retreating into the cafe. "I'll get to work right away! It'll make you want to give me a raise."

Ryou simply scuffed. "Like that's ever going to happen..."

He headed inside his girly pink cafe, watching Ichigo run back and forth to their customers. "I wonder why she's late this time. Probably slept in again, that baka."

He gave her a sigh and strolled over into the kitchen. He looked at Keiichiro who was smiling as he iced his cupcakes. "Worried as ever, I take it."

Ryou didn't bother to respond. Keiichiro was the only one who knew him this well so it was obvious to him that he was worried. All he did was sigh again wishing there was some way to relieve his stress. Keiichiro looked over at Ryou who was more sullen than ever. "It's not very good to worry so much. You'll turn to wrinkles and age faster." He said in a joking manner.

Lettuce walked in with two trays in arms, putting them down and picking up the other orders. As she left, she smiled at the two of them.

"I just don't know anymore. It's been months since Masaya broke up with her. I just don't-" an interruption of plates crashing on the ground came out of nowhere. Well not really anywhere, everyone knows it was only Pudin with her amazing tricks. He was beginning to feel a little drained; wishing he had the energy of that playful monkey. Pudin rushed inside, taking out the broom and dustpan, and running back into the main room to clean her mess. "It's just hopeless, you know."

Keiichiro just nodded, continuing with his pastries.

In the other room, Mint called over Ichigo to demand reasons for being late. She felt that she had to take the role of Ryou since he seemed so distant lately. "So Ichigo, you're late. What happened this time?" She said out of curiosity. "I bet you were having one of those dreams again. You know where Ryou is all physical with you..." She laughed at the concept.

Ichigo simply blushed and nodded.

"Oh yeah? Developed feelings for Ryou, have you?"

Ichigo let out a small shriek, shaking her head. "No, it's not like that. I don't even know why I've been having these dreams. They're always about Ryou and how we're 'together'. It's so weird." She told Mint with a mellow look.

Mint giggled at Ichigo's subconscious feelings for her thick-headed boss. "Whatever you say, Ichigo." She sipped some of her tea. "I guess if you know that you don't like him, then those dreams are nothing to be worrying about. After all it's just imagination..."

Ichigo sighed and began to reason with Mint. She didn't understand why either. "It's just they've been getting worse. It's gotten... a little more visual lately."

"What do you mean?" Mint inquired with a snicker.

"Like visual..." Ichigo looked both ways to see if Ryou was any near around her. Once to the left and twice to the right, he was nowhere in sight. She let out another long sigh, preparing herself to release the visual stimulators of her mind. "The last dream, which was only the other day, Ryou was already shirtless. It was kind of like one of those times where I'd accidently walk in on him after a shower... except he was slowly undressing me."

Ichigo began to blush as Mint merely nodded her head and giggled at the thought.

"But this morning's was nothing like that. I was in my house alone. I went to have a shower and out of nowhere, Ryou comes in saying we've been doing this for months. It's not only just visual lust or anything like that; he's been getting a little more physical lately. Maybe even a more aggressive. It's like these dreams just won't stop. I don't know what to do anymore."

Mint raised her eyebrow. She looked over behind Ichigo. "Oh," she glanced back at Ichigo, sipping her tea. "Good morning Shirogane."

Ichigo's face had automatically turned a bright red, from her right ear to her left, when she heard the name 'Shirogane'. She started panicking. 'When did he come in? How much did he hear? Did he hear about the dreams? I could have sworn he wasn't near us when I checked... That wasn't even five minutes ago either so I don't know how he could be here.'

She would have had to turn around eventually. What was she suppose to do? Just ignore Mint's comment and continue with another topic. They all knew that Ryou would eventually interrupt and demand for her to get back to work. She closed her eyes tightly and wished to redo this entire day. Wake up before anything sexual could occur in her obscene dream. Get to work on time and not be nagged by her boss. Even regardless of being late or not, she knew that Ryou would find something to nag about so she didn't mind that part much. The very thing that she wished to take back was mentioning her dirty dreams in front of Ryou. Especially when they involved Ryou, himself, she couldn't bare that. She told herself that Ryou must think she's perverted. She gave a last sigh then turned around.

**Untold Dreams | Part Two**

'Oh god,' she thought to herself as she glanced up to see the same old smirk planted across her snobby boss' face. 'He overheard us, I know it. Now I just look like some pathetic pervert lusting after her boss.' She sighed to herself, still freaking out and over reacting about what has just happened. Her face was still flushed and the visual images of this morning's dream had once again appeared. She could see Ryou's pleasured expression as he reaches to kiss her. She begins to quiver with joy, once again ignoring her present situation, soon realising what's really occurring.

She kept her head down as she shouted out that she had to get back to work. Ryou just stared while she ran away to the entrance in awe completely confused.

"What's up with that baka?" He asked Mint.

Mint merely shrugged it off, chuckling, and said, "I never know with that one. Sorry Shirogane."

Ryou nodded his head and strolled away back to the kitchen. He wished, maybe just for once, he could understand what was going on in that girl's head. A simple glance inside would be all that he needed... He just wanted to be close to her. He sighed as he pushed open the door, looking over at Keiichiro.

He glanced up, "What's wrong, Ryou?"

"That baka... She's having dreams about some guy." He knew that he could always turn to his best friend about his whims for Ichigo, the only one he'd ever admit his feelings for her to. "I come in and she's just chatting there with Mint about some boy. I couldn't believe my ears; I really didn't think she'd have those kinds of dreams..."

Keiichiro looked blanked. "Those kind of dreams?"

"You know what I mean." Ryou shot a dirty look at his friend; there was no way he wanted to elaborate on what he overheard. He scuffed out air feeling defeat. "I guess I waited too long... Too passive or something. The boy was apparently 'aggressive' in her dream; she'd probably like that..."

"Well you never know unless you try." Encouraging words were all that his friend could say in a situation like this, either way, Ryou wasn't exactly known for giving up so easily. "Ichigo is like a box full of surprises, you should know better. Maybe you'd find out the outcome was slightly different than your own beliefs, you know?"

Ryou glanced away, acting a little snobby. "I guess you're right."

The other mews went home yet Ichigo was forced to clean up after closing time by herself. The other girls wished her luck and went on their way waving their goodbyes. She sighed to herself. She leaned against the top of the broom. She closed her eyes slowly and could picture her dream once again. Her face grew flushed and she began to wonder if they're just subconscious feelings. She shook the idea out of her head. "There's no way in the whole world that I'd ever like him," she told herself over and over. "I mean... he's such a..."

Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open a little bit. She couldn't believe it. It was the first time she didn't want to end a sentence that started with 'Ryou' with the word baka, or even something negative. She was only beginning to understand her feelings. She glanced up to look at the clock. It was already a little past ten o'clock; she would have to be on her way.

"Well it isn't like it's the first time... but then I'm going to have to be the one who tells Ryou it's all done."

She got changed; putting on the spare clothing she had left in her locker for such emergencies, and then strolled upstairs to tell her boss that she'd be leaving. She knew that it would take her forever to actually face him so she might as well just get it over with. As much as it's something to be embarrassed about, she'd have to talk to him eventually. She tapped lightly on his door and opened it.

Ryou was sitting on his bed in his pajama pants and a towel around his neck. 'Super,' she thought to herself. 'Just makes it so much more awkward for me.'

"I'll be off now Shirogane." Leaning against the wall, she muttered her words. Her eyes were drawn to him though she tried with all her might to look away. He hadn't moved a muscle the entire time she was there.

He could not control himself any longer. Jealousy truly had driven him to the point of no return. He pushed her down glaring into her eyes.

"I won't give you up to someone else." He was breathing heavily and his voice was hoarse. Straddled on top of her, his hands gripped her wrists. He was piercing her with his hurtful expression. He had no intention of letting her go.

He tore off the buttons on her shirt opening up her collar. He could see her most of her torso clearly, from her collar bone to the tip of her bra. He leaned forward, hand still tight around her wrists, and started to nibble on her skin. He quickly jolted up to her neck, embracing it with bite marks. His other hand reached down to break the other buttons off, exposing herself more. She laid there frightened, staring with confusion at him. He had released a side she had never seen before, nor would expect from her snobby blonde boss. It was almost so rash, as if inexperienced in the field.

Staring into his eyes, surprised at such aggression, she began to wonder if she was stuck in another dream. She was torn between pinching herself to wake up or to stay in such a forceful dream. She knew what she wanted and well, when it came down to the truth, this was it- or at least this was merely a part of what she had wanted from him.

He continued ripping off each button individually; he seemed almost calculating with his irrational actions. His fingers traced down the side of her torso then following the lining of the hemming on her skirt, inching centimetres closer to her belly button. She felt shivers down her spine as he began caresses her breasts. He leans forward, kissing every inch he could.

"Shi-Shirogane..." she whispers softly, feeling extremely flustered for the first time. She would never admit it that she and Masaya had never gone further in their relationship. It was always over-the-top action though she had always hoped for more. Maybe now, she thought, maybe it was time to admit to her feelings.

Ryou lifts up his shirt revealing the tan chest that always left her feeling so embarrassed.

He looks forward, staring into her brown eyes. He feels he's doing something wrong but can no longer stop himself. He rushes in for a sloppy kiss. His hand was still tightly gripping her hand in restraint. Her eyes squeezed tightly shut. Flustered, she begins begging for more, calling out his name.

At that moment, he couldn't take anymore. All it would take to set him off is her sweet whisper of calling his name. That would get any man going, really. He let go of his grip. He unbuttons his pants, roughly pushing them below his knees. He pulls up her skirt and pulls down her pink boy-cut shorts.

'This is really happening, isn't it?' She couldn't believe it.

She reached out to hold him close; grabbing him with both arms in a tight embraced, whispering something into his ear. "I love you, Ryou."

He stops mid way in his tracks, just before any deflowering took place. Ryou stares into Ichigo's eyes. She's completely prepared for this, he could tell. He caresses her face and leans in closer to kiss her again. This time, more softly. After being engaged in such a passionate kiss, he retreats. He sits, almost sulking, with his knees high up close to his chest.

Ichigo sits up, staring at him, completely confused. She hesitates. "Did I do something...?"

"No. I don't want it to be like this." Ryou pause. "Strawberry, you don't know how much I've wanted this... For the longest time, all I've ever wanted to do was hold you in my arms." He sighed. "I hated Masaya. I wanted you for myself. I don't want to rush into this... I want to properly cherish you. I love you."

Ichigo attempted hiding the smile that was lighting up her face,

Ryou grabs the corner of the blanket, pulling it down. He manoeuvres himself to sit behind her, embracing her, with the blankets wrapped around the two of them. She relaxes, resting her head on his chest. "Well... that was... something." She said, still flustered from all the action from before.

Sometime later they managed to move from the floor to his bed. Still embracing each other under the blankets, they had fallen asleep.

Keiichiro gently knocks on the door. "Ryou. It's morning."

Ryou, still half asleep, waves his hand at the door. He rolls over, spooning, and tightly squeeze his Baka Strawberry in his arms. Ichigo, eyesight completely fuzzy first thing in the morning, looks around. 'Where am I?' she thinks to herself. She stares blanking into the window. The sky was blue as the sea with white clouds painted in the background. She rubs her eyes, trying to get that morning sand out of them. Finally noticing that heavy weight around her hips, she turns over.

Startled, she gasps, staring at the soundless sleeper. Completely in awe, she smiles to herself. 'How adorable.'

Leaning into his face, she snuggles him. One of his eyes opens the tiniest bit, creeping an image of just exactly what was attacking his face. His ever so perky Strawberry was grinning to herself, lost in delusional thoughts. "This isn't a dream this time." Her thoughts slip out.

"Huh, dream? This time?" he inquires. "What are you talking about?"

She grins, giggling to herself. "I'll never tell."

**End | Untold Dreams**

There will not be another chapter to this one shot story. I hope you enjoyed it.


End file.
